Sustainability is fast becoming the standard for almost all activities, not just in production and industrial procedures but also in our daily lifestyle. Humans must be mindful of the effect of all our actions on mother earth and all her elements.
Eco-friendly culture is one act we should incorporate in the most regular activities, the way we shop, cook our food, dispose of our garbage, etc. We could make our kitchen go green by embracing healthy and eco-friendly practices. Below are ways to adopt an eco-friendly kitchen.
● Conserve Water
Water is one of the resources with the highest demand in the kitchen. It would be best if you were mindful of your activities that require water usage—unhealthy habits like running your tap when not in use should be avoided. Using dishwater will make you use less water than doing your dishes with your hands.
It is also much more water and energy-efficient if you run a full load of the dishwasher rather than running in bits. Again, you can go for energy and water-efficient dishwashers; there are many of them out there. If you must wash your plates without a dishwasher, you could create a separate washing and rinsing space rather than cleaning directly from the running faucet.
● Shop Smart
Our shopping habits have a significant impact on the ecosystem. It is high time we began shopping with the consciousness of our decisions of what we purchase and how we purchase them in the environment.
While prices of goods might be a significant determinant of what foodstuff and kitchen usable to buy, we should learn to shop more for goods made and packaged to be eco-friendly—the less the packaging, the better for the environment.
It would be the best action if you went shopping with your shopping bags. By doing this, you do not have to get new disposable bags every time you shop, hence increasing the amount of refuse you will have to recycle.
● Embrace Recycling
How do you dispose of your garbage? It is worse enough that you generate more waste than you should via your shopping habits. You could make your kitchen go green by choosing appropriate recycling methods to dispose of your waste.
Several garbage companies can help you handle your recycling process. You only have to take conscious steps to find out what recycler is around you, how they operate, and what to do to ensure that your wastes are appropriately disposed of in an eco-friendly fashion.
Asides from the disposal of wastes with a recycler, several items that eagerly go into your trash can be reused. Your shopping bags, plastics, and many more do not have to be disposed of after the first use. Remember, the industrial process in manufacturing these materials puts enough demands on the ecosystem already, and you could make it lesser.
-
Grow Plants
Going green immediately makes us think of plants and taking care of them. What better way to decorate your house than filling it with beautiful plants that will also clean the air of your room in a natural way.
It is recommended that every room has at least one or two plants, including the kitchen. No need to be concerned if sunlight does not reach this particular room, there are easy solutions to that. With the help of T5 grow lights you can grow any kind of flower inside and rejoice in their healing power.
You can also grow indoor herbs, vegetables, and mushrooms indoors. A mushroom spray and grow kit is one good example of an easy-to-grow produce in your kitchen. Soon, you’ll have fresh ingredients for your favorite dishes!
● Energy Conservation
Cooking can be made eco-friendly when you are conservative in your cooking habits. Most people convert more energy into heat that escapes into the environment than they use for their actual cooking. Why use a large oven for cooking small dishes when you can go for a better alternative in smaller ovens, toasters, or even microwaves? These smaller heating appliances also generate less heat; hence you do not have to invest more in air-conditioning. Stoves are also great alternatives to the oven, especially when you must cook large meals.
The kind of pots you use for cooking also determines how much energy you consume. Pressure pots will not let steam escape; hence cook your meals faster with lesser power. You should avoid cooking without the pot lids for similar reasons.
You can allow many foods to cook themselves by turning off the heat about ten to fifteen minutes earlier to conserve energy. Pre-heating is also one habit you should avoid while cooking. You can roast or grill directly without having to boil or pre-heat.
You should invest in energy-efficient appliances in your kitchen. A complete home remodeling with these kinds of devices will reduce your general energy consumption. You can now go for low-energy consumption refrigerators, ovens, cookers, and many more.
While all these recommendations might not individually account for a considerable difference in our energy demands, we may want to consider the frequency at which you perform these activities and the population of people doing the same thing as you. A little sustainable approach and conservation will make a massive difference in the long run when cumulated.
